Even though numerous influential reports call for earlier and better integration of behavioral science theory and insights into the policy process, the reality is that disciplines other than economics and the law have had little or no influence on the design or implementation of environmental or technology policy. We review reasons and consequences for this failure and examine paths towards better future integration.

SPRING 2018

Updated for Fall 2017-18

AMS 306 / GHP 411 (SA)   na, npdf
Issues in American Public Health

Leslie E. Gerwin 

Over the last century, the United States has made substantial health improvements, including increased life expectancy. Yet, despite that progress, and even though we spend approximately one-sixth of our gross domestic product on health care (more than any other industrialized nation), we have significant, and persistent, health care disparities and gaps in health access and outcomes. We are beginning to understand that there is more to individual and community health than habits, health care, or even our genes. Indeed, the context of our lives — where we live, work, and play — helps determines our health status. This course will explore the social determinants of health, including economic opportunity (or lack thereof), environmental influences, educational resources, social capital, and public safety.

This course will examine the factors affecting health status from the unique perspective of Trenton. New Jersey’s capital, Trenton is a diverse city with approximately 84,000 residents, has low home ownership rates and one of the state’s highest rates of violent crime, and one-third of its children live in poverty while nearly one-half are obese. In the face of these challenges, the Trenton Health Team — a community health improvement collaborative — is working to improve health outcomes and contain health care costs in Trenton. We will partner with them to learn about the challenges in improving health status.

The proposed partnership will allow students to explore the complex factors affecting the health of a community and the roles of community-based organizations, the government, and health care providers in addressing health inequities and improving health status. A series of readings will expose students to the current academic literature, and students will be exposed to the work of the Trenton Health Team through visits to the city and meetings with community leaders and service providers. Seminar participants will work on group projects that will inform the work of the Trenton Health Team, and each student will do independent research on a topic of their choosing for their final paper.

AAS 223 / ENG 232/ GSS 223: Literature, Food, and the American Racial Diet

Food, like books, is the site of our greatest consumption of and most vulnerable encounter with “otherness.” This course explores how “taste” informs the ways in which we ingest or dispel racial otherness. Through novels and cinema largely in Asian American and African American cultural production and in the Asian and African diaspora– we will study how the meeting of food and word inform categories such as race, nationhood, gender, ecology, and family, and class. Topics include: “Transcendental Primitivism,” “Modernist Orientalism,” “Chocolate Women on the Edge”, “Parenting/Consuming”, “Ecology and the Humanimal,” and more. Here’s a story about the class. Anne Cheng (aacheng@Princeton.EDU)

ANT 203 (SA): Economic Life in Cultural Context

This course explores the social and cultural contexts of economic experience in the US and around the world. It considers how the consumption, production, and circulation of goods–today and in times past–become invested with personal and collective meanings. It pays special attention to symbolic and political dimensions of work, property (material, intellectual, and cultural), wealth, and “taste” (i.e., needs and wants). Additionally, course participants do a bit of anthropological fieldwork by learning to draw everyday experiences systematically into conversation with more familiar academic and media sources. Rena S. Lederman (lederman@Princeton.EDU)

ANT 362: Foodways: Biocultural Aspects of Human Diet (SA)

Foodways is a biocultural exploration of human food consumption. Readings and discussions will focus on both the biological and socio-cultural aspects of what humans eat and the ways human cultures conceptualize food and its consumption. Topics include the nutritional needs of humans, the differences between diet and cuisine, which foods taste good and why some foods taste disgusting, the evolution of human diet, how cultures define what is and what is not food, the symbolism associated with various kinds of food, and how cultures distinguish foods that are suitable for some members of the society and not others. Alan E. Mann (mann@Princeton.EDU)

ARC 208 / ENE 202 / EGR 208 / ENV 206 (STN): Designing Sustainable Systems – Applying the Science of Sustainability to Address Global Change

The course presents anthropogenic global changes and their impact on sustainable design. The course focuses on the mechanistic understanding of the underlying principles based in simple concepts from natural and applied sciences. Based on a reflection of successes and failures, it indicates the feasibility of the necessary changes and critically discusses alternatives. The material is presented in 2 parts: 1) Global Change and Environmental Impacts: studying our influences on basic natural systems and cycles, and 2) Designing Sustainable Systems: studying potential solutions to these challenges through an applied design project. Forrest M. Meggers (fmeggers@princeton.edu)

CBE418 / ENE 418: Fundamentals of Biofuels

This course defines biofuels, and explains why we should make them. It presents the challenges and opportunities of sustainable biofuels, addressing issues of land use, and competition with food production. It describes production processes of first generation, and cellulosic ethanol. It covers microbial engineering to improve production, or make new advanced biofuels. It describes the use of photosynthetic organisms such as algae, which fix carbon directly from the atmosphere to make biofuels. It addresses the environmental, economic and societal impact of biofuels, and how they can fulfill their promise as a renewable source of energy. José L. Avalos (javalos@princeton.edu)

CBE 335 / MAE 338 / ENV 335 / ENE 335 The Energy Water Nexus

Students will gain an awareness of challenges to sustainable water and energy and inter-linkages between these. Energy-water design trade-offs will be investigated for various energy and water processing facilities, e.g., electric power and desalination plants. Students will design and simulate a river-reservoir system and assess management and regulatory options. Lectures will include a review of tools for lifecycle environmental and economic analysis, and discussion of contemporary issues where the energy-water nexus plays a critical role. Fabian Wagner (fwagner@princeton.edu)

ANT 364 / ENV 364 (SA) The Politics of Nature

In this course we will consider the social and political life of nature from an anthropological perspective. How are our ideas about nature historically and culturally produced? What is the relationship between resource control and the consolidation of power? From the work of conservation NGOs (nonprofit organizations) to laboratory-produced GMOs (genetically modified organisms), we will explore how notions of pristine wilderness, polluting people, and ethical business are produced and contested. Course themes range from the lived effects of extractive industries to nature as both a commodity and the grounds for claiming political rights. Susan H. Ellison

CEE 306 (STN): Hydrology

Analysis of fundamental processes in the hydrologic cycle, including precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration, streamflow and groundwater flow. James A. Smith (jsmith@Princeton.EDU)

CEE 307 / EEB 305 (STL): Water, Energy, and Ecosystems

This three-week course, offered as part of a four-course study abroad semester, takes place at Princeton University’s Mpala Research Centre in central Kenya. The course will provide an introduction to the principles of hydrological sciences through the development and application of instrumentation for characterizing surface/subsurface hydrological dynamics in field settings. Lectures and field activities will address the theory of operation, design, and implementation of methods used to quantify hydrological patterns and processes. Kelly K. Caylor (kcaylor@princeton.edu)

CEE 301 / ENV 303 / URB 303 (STN): Introduction to Environmental Engineering
The course introduces the basic chemical and physical processes of relevance in environmental engineering. Mass and energy balance and transport concepts are introduced and the chemical principles governing reaction kinetics and phase partitioning are presented. We then turn our focus to the applications in environmental engineering problems related to water and air pollution. Ian C. Bourg (bourg@princeton.edu)

CEE 302 / ENV 302 / EEB 302: Practical Models for Environmental Systems

Humans are increasingly affecting environmental systems throughout the world. This course uses quantitative analysis to examine three of today’s most pressing issues: energy, water, and food. Each issue is examined from perspectives of natural and engineered ecosystems that depend on complex interactions among physical, chemical, and biological processes. The course is an introduction for students in the natural sciences and engineering pursuing an advanced program in environmental studies. We emphasize quantitative analyses with applications to a wide range of systems, and the design of engineered solutions to major environmental problems Michael A. Celia (celia@Princeton.EDU), Lars O. Hedin (lhedin@Princeton.EDU)

CEE 311 / CHM 311 / GEO 311 / ENE 311: Global Air Pollution

Students will study the chemical and physical processes involved in the sources, transformation, transport, and sinks of air pollutants on local to global scales. Societal problems such as photochemical smog, particulate matter, greenhouse gases, and stratospheric ozone depletion will be investigated using fundamental concepts in chemistry, physics, and engineering. For the class project, students will select a trace gas species or family of gases and analyze recent field and remote sensing data based upon material covered in the course. Environments to be studied include very clean, remote portions of the globe to urban air quality. Mark A. Zondlo (mzondlo@Princeton.EDU)

CEE 460 (QR): Risk Analysis

Fundamentals of probabilistic risk analysis. Stochastic modeling of hazards. Estimation of extremes. Vulnerability modeling of natural and built environment. Evaluation of failure chances and consequences. Reliability analysis. Decision analysis and risk management. Case studies involving natural hazards, including earthquakes, extreme winds, rainfall flooding, storm surges, hurricanes, and climate change, and their induced damage and economic losses. Ning Lin (nlin@princeton.edu)

CEE 471 / GEO 471 / URB 471 (STN): Introduction to Water Pollution Technology
An introduction to the science of water quality management and pollution control in natural systems; fundamentals of biological and chemical transformations in natural waters; indentification of sources of pollution; water and wastewater treatment methods; fundamentals of water quality modeling. Peter R. Jaffé (jaffe@Princeton.EDU)

CEE 477 / ENE 477 (STN): Engineering Design for Sustainable Development

Students will design several features of a LEED-certified building project. Features that will be considered include ground source heat pumps; ventilation; photovoltaics (PV); insulation; glazing; green materials; and storm water management systems, including a green roof, and rainwater harvesting. Ventilation will be designed considering the potential for vapor emissions from building materials. Energy software will be used to determine the carbon footprint and energy costs of alternative designs. Stephen Song (ss28@princeton.edu)

CEE 490 /ENE 490: Mathematical Modeling of Energy and Environmental Systems

This course explores the social and cultural contexts of economic experience in the US and around the world. It considers how the consumption, production, and circulation of goods–today and in times past–become invested with personal and collective meanings. It pays special attention to symbolic and political dimensions of work, property (material, intellectual, and cultural), wealth, and “taste” (i.e., needs and wants). Additionally, course participants do a bit of anthropological fieldwork by learning to draw everyday experiences systematically into conversation with more familiar academic and media sources. Staff

CEE 599: Special Topics in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources – Ecohydrology of Plant Water Use

The course focuses on the quantitative modelling of the joint stochastic dynamics of soil moisture and plant biomass under different hydrologic conditions and plant physiological responses. Models of tree/grass competition with differentiated water use strategies are coupled with stochastic hydrologic inputs linking hydrologic dynamics and physiological response. Ignacio Rodriguez-Iturbe (rodrigu@Princeton.EDU)

CHM 333 / ENV 333 / GEO 333 (STN): Oil to Ozone: Chemistry of the Environment

The chemical background of environmental issues. Topics include energy and fuels, global change, ozone, air pollution, chemistry of natural waters, pesticides, and heavy metals. François Morel (morel@princeton.edu), Anne M. Morel-Kraepiel (kraepiel@Princeton.EDU)

CHM 418 / GEO 418: Environmental Aqueous Geochemistry

Application of quantitative chemical principles to the study of natural waters. Includes equilibrium computations, carbonate system, gas exchange, precipitation/dissolution of minerals, coordination of trace metals, redox reactions in water and sediments. François Morel (morel@princeton.edu)

CHV 301 / WWS 370 / POL 308: Ethics and Public Policy

The course examines major moral controversies in public life and differing conceptions of justice and the common good. It seeks to help students develop the skills required for thinking and writing about the ethical considerations that ought to shape public institutions, guide public authorities, and inform the public’s judgments. The course will focus on issues that are particularly challenging for advanced, pluralist democracies such as the USA, including justice in war, terrorism and torture, paternalism, markets and distributive justice, abortion, the law of marriage and the place, if any, of religious arguments in politics. Stephen J. Macedo (macedo@Princeton.EDU)

CHV 261 / REL 261: Christian Ethics and Modern Society

An introduction to Christian ideals of conduct, character, & community, & to modern disputes over their interpretation & application. Are Christian virtues & principles fundamentally at odds with the ethos of liberal democracy oriented toward rights, equality, & freedom? What do Christian beliefs & moral concepts imply about issues related to feminism, racism, & pluralism? What is the relationship between religious convictions, morality, & law? Special emphasis on selected political & economic problems, sexuality & marriage, bioethics, capital punishment, the environment, war, terrorism & torture, & the role of religion in public life. Eric S. Gregory (gregory@Princeton.EDU)

CHV 318 / HUM 316 / PHI 316 / SOC 318 (EM): Social Philosophy

A systematic study of philosophical questions pertaining to social phenomena. We will begin with ontological questions, such as whether and how we can say that a group exists or that it has certain beliefs and desires; then turn to questions concerning explanation, such as whether social science can ever be value-neutral; and end by addressing normative questions pertaining to our obligation to obey the law, the nature and value of patriotism, the moral responsibilities of corporations, the critique of social categories like race and gender, and the ideal of socialism. Jonathan P. Thakkar (jthakkar@princeton.edu)

CHV 416 / POL 416: Moral Conflicts in Public and Private Life

The distinction between public and private spheres of life is both foundational to modern liberal democratic politics and also fraught with controversy. This course examines such conflicts in the context of political theory, ethics, law, and public policy, including the tense interface between public values and religious conscience and practice, and the scope of freedom with respect to marriage, family, and sexual relations. How broad are the claims of private liberty and what is the nature and extent of legitimate public authority when it comes to activities claimed to be private? Can paternalist and perfectionist policies ever be justified? Stephen J. Macedo (macedo@Princeton.EDU)

ECO 329 / ENV 319 / WWS 306 (SA): Environmental Economics

Course introduces use of economics in understanding both the sources of and the remedies to environmental and resource allocation problems. It emphasizes the reoccurrence of economic phenomena like public goods, externalities, market failure and imperfect information. Students learn about the design and evaluation of environmental policy instruments, the political economy of environmental policy, and the valuation of environmental and natural resource services. The concepts are illustrated in a variety of applications from domestic pollution of air, water and land to international issues such as global warming and sustainable development. Smita B. Brunnermeier (smita@Princeton.EDU)

ECO 343: Economic Inequality and the Role of Government

In the US and many other developed countries, economic inequality has risen to historic levels in recent decades. What are the causes of this trend — “natural” market forces (e.g., globalization?) or changes in public policy (e.g., erosion of the minimum wage)? Are measures currently proposed to counteract inequality and poverty — e.g, progressive taxation, transfer programs to low-income families, public insurance programs such as Medicare — effective? An emphasis is placed on understanding what basic microeconomic theory as well as empirical evidence can (and cannot) tell us about these questions. Ilyana Kuziemko (kuziemko@Princeton.EDU)

ECO 355: Economics of Food and Agriculture

Hunger and under-nutrition are widespread in poor countries while an obesity crisis is growing in rich countries. Rural-urban income inequality occurs throughout the world and farming and food industry practices everywhere have significant adverse effects on public health and the environment/climate. What are the economic causes of these problems? Are agricultural, food, nutrition and environmental policy measures currently proposed to deal with these problems effective? This course uses theoretical and empirical economic analysis to study the agricultural and food sector and related government policies in rich and poor countries. Silvia Weyerbrock (sweyerbr@Princeton.EDU)

ECO 372 / EPS 342 (SA): Economics Europe – Economics of the European Union and Economies in Europe

Europe is at a crossroads. Political and economic integration in the European Union (EU) exceeds levels reached in other parts of the world. Economic integration not only affects trade but agriculture, competition, regions, energy, and money. Most euro areas economies have been struggling with interlocking crises involving debt, banking and growth, which challenge the viability of monetary union and threaten much of what has been achieved since 1945. This course studies economic integration in Europe, the ongoing euro crisis, and economic challenges facing EU member countries. It uses economic analysis to study policy issues. Silvia Weyerbrock (sweyerbr@Princeton.EDU)

EEB 308: Conservation Biology

An in-depth exposure to topics in conservation biology emphasizing the application of scientific concepts to our understanding of the problems that threaten endangered species and ecosystems. Topics include island biogeography, population genetics and viability, landscape ecology, reserve design, and endangered species recovery. To a lesser degree, this course will address some of the political, economic, and cultural aspects of conservation. Martha M. Hurley (mmhurley@Princeton.EDU)

EEB 313: Behavioral Ecology

How does a swarm of honeybees collectively decide on a new site for their hive? When a mother mouse protects her young, are her behaviors genetically determined? Why do ravens share food with each other? This course is an introduction to behavioral ecology, which asks why animals act the way they do, how their behaviors have been shaped by natural selection, and how these behaviors influence their surroundings. We will first discuss behaviors at the individual level, then move to reproductive behaviors. The final section of the course will focus on social evolution, the origins of cooperation, and human behavioral ecology. Christina P. Riehl (criehl@Princeton.EDU)

EEB 321: Ecology: Species Interactions, Biodiversity and Society

How do wild organisms interact with each other, their physical environments, and human societies? Lectures will examine a series of fundamental topics in ecology–herbivory, predation, competition, mutualism, species invasions, biogeographic patterns, extinction, climate change, and conservation, among others–through the lens of case studies drawn from all over the world. Readings will provide background information necessary to contextualize these case studies and clarify the linkages between them. Laboratories and fieldwork will explore the process of translating observations and data into an understanding of how the natural world works. Robert M. Pringle (pringle@Princeton.EDU)

EEB 341, ENV341: Water, Savannas and Society: Global Change and Sustainability in Africa’s Hallmark Ecosystem

Savannas have played an important role in shaping human societies, including our evolution as a species. That role will grow, as savannas must be increasingly harnessed to meet growing demands for food, fuel, and fiber. Starting with a primer on savanna ecology, this course will examine the ecological and societal issues surrounding our use of African savannas. A key focus will be to explore tradeoffs between agricultural development, ecosystem services (e.g. carbon storage), biodiversity, and existing livelihoods, how those tradeoffs can be optimized to achieve sustainability, and how climate change will complicate such efforts. Lyndon D. Estes (lestes@princeton.edu)

EEB 504: Fundamental Concepts in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior II

An advanced foundation in ecology, focusing on the 50 fundamental papers, is given. Topics include dynamics and structure of populations, communities and ecosystems, and conservation biology. (This is a core course.) Peter Andolfatto (pandolfa@Princeton.EDU),
Andrew P. Dobson (dobber@Princeton.EDU), Andrea L. Graham (algraham@Princeton.EDU), Bryan T. Grenfell (grenfell@Princeton.EDU), Lars O. Hedin (lhedin@Princeton.EDU), C. Jessica E. Metcalf (cmetcalf@Princeton.EDU), Stephen W. Pacala (pacala@Princeton.EDU), Robert M. Pringle (rpringle@Princeton.EDU), Daniel I. Rubenstein (dir@Princeton.EDU), Corina E. Tarnita (ctarnita@princeton.edu), David S. Wilcove (dwilcove@Princeton.EDU), Bridgett M. vonHoldt (vonholdt@princeton.edu)

EGR 277 / SOC 277 / HIS 277 (SA): Technology and Society

Technology and society are unthinkable without each other – each provides the means and framework in which the other develops. To explore this dynamic, this course investigates a wide array of questions on the interaction between technology, society, politics, and economics, emphasizing the themes of innovation and maturation, systems and regulation, risk and failure, and ethics and expertise. Specific topics covered include nuclear power and waste, genetically-modified organisms, regulation of the internet, medical mistakes, intellectual property, the financial crisis of 2008, and the post-fossil-fuels economy. Janet A. Vertesi (jvertesi@Princeton.EDU)

EGR 498 / GHP 498: Special Topics in Social Entrepreneurship – Ventures to Address Global Challenges

Course focuses on how entrepreneurial ventures – as compared with international aid programs, private philanthropy and corporate social responsibility initiatives – can potentially address major global challenges such as widespread poverty, intractable disease, health policy, slum housing and global warming that affect the lives and well-being of billions. After overview of selected global challenges and the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, will explore emerging and established ventures in each of these challenge arenas in more detail. Classes: combination of lectures and case discussions, interspersed with conversations with entrepreneurs. John D. Danner (jdanner@Princeton.EDU)

ENE 561 / WWS 586C: The Psychology of Environmental Decision Making

An introduction to the field of behavioral science and how it is used in practice to study and change how people make decisions about environmental problems. We explore how people psychologically understand and process environmental risks and how such perceptions influence behavioral decision-making. Students explore the social-psychological foundations of pro-environmental values, attitudes and norms and how to design public policy interventions to improve environmental decision-making. Public understanding of science and behavioral strategies for effective environmental science communication and engagement are also discussed. Sander L. van der Linden (sander.vanderlinden@princeton.edu)

ENV STO5: Investigating an Ethical Approach to Sustainability at Princeton

As Princeton University shapes its 2026 Campus Plan, students will study the multi-dimensional ethical consequences of sustainability decision-making and implementation. Students will study various facets of campus and sustainability planning, ethical and moral frameworks around human relationships with nature, and modern global conditions and forecasting. Students will produce a series of research-driven position papers outlining what directive principles should be applied when making planning decisions in areas such as energy, waste, water, food, and communications. The papers will inform campus planning. Shana S. Weber (shanaw@Princeton.EDU)

ENV 201B /STC 201B (STL): Fundamentals of Environmental Studies: Population, Land Use, Biodiversity, and Energy

An expanding human population and the desire of all people for a more prosperous life have placed tremendous demands on the environment. We will explore how human activities have affected land use, agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity, and the use of energy. Our focus is both global and local, highlighting not only fundamental changes in the biosphere, but also the ways in which individual decisions lead to major environmental changes. We explore the fundamental principles underlying contemporary environmental issues, and we use case studies to illustrate the scientific, political, economic, and social dimensions of environmental problems. Kelly Caylor (kcaylor@princeton.edu), David Wilcove (dwilcove@princeton.edu)

ENV 306 (HA): Topics in Environmental Studies – American Environmental History

Explores the diverse connections between America’s national development and natural environment. It examines how the U.S. originated, then expanded to cover a continental land mass, and the ways that expansion changed the nation. It analyzes how, why, and with what consequences major parts of the U.S. economy–for instance, farming, energy, services and government–have grown or in shrunk. It looks at how and with what results the U.S. has incorporated different ethnic and racial groups. It shows how, why, and with what outcomes it has historically globalized and conducted its foreign policy, and offers insights into current landscapes. Deborah E. Popper (dpopper@Princeton.EDU), Frank J. Popper (fpopper@princeton.edu)

ENV 331 / GEO 363 / CHM 331: Environmental Geochemistry: Chemistry of the Natural Systems

Covers topics including origin of elements; formation of the Earth; evolution of the atmosphere and oceans; atomic theory and chemical bonding; crystal chemistry and ionic substitution in crystals; reaction equilibria and kinetics in aqueous and biological systems; chemistry of high-temperature melts and crystallization process; and chemistry of the atmosphere, soil, marine and riverine environments. The biogeochemistry of contaminants and their influence on the environment will also be discussed. Satish C. Myneni (smyneni@Princeton.EDU)

ENV 342 (No Audit): Agriculture and Food Security

This course provides an understanding of the complex and challenging public health issue of food security in a world where one billion people are under-nourished, while another billion are overweight. Topics explore the connections among diet, the current food and food animal production systems, the environment and public health, considering factors such as economics, population and equity. Lectures, discussions and case studies will examine these complex relationships and alternative approaches to achieving both local and global food security and the important role public health can play. Eileen Zerba

ENV 407: Africans Feeding Africa

This course will explore the economic, environmental, and social challenges of meeting growing food needs in sub-Saharan Africa. The region today has the lowest crop yields, the highest percentage of hungry people, and the highest population growth rates, and relies heavily on firewood for energy. The region also has vast areas of environmentally valuable forests and savannas. It has technical opportunities to produce crops better but faces challenges from high rainfall variability and climate change. Timothy D. Searchinger (Princeton Studies Food founder) (tsearchi@princeton.edu)

FRS 138 Science, Society & Dinner (STN)

A new program of hands-on culinary lab classes and resultant communal dinners that illustrate and amplify trans-disciplinary coursework in science, engineering, public policy, humanities and social sciences — while teaching self-reliance and food literacy. Interspersed with lecture, students, under the direction of a five-star chef, prepare curriculum-specific meals together to exacting standards, learning basic (and not-so-basic) technique, background, critical thinking and discernment as applied to gastronomy, culinary theory, seasonality, palate development, human physiology and across academic disciplines. Multiple instructors with each lab co-taught by Master Chef Craig Shelton, Yale ’82 MB&B, five-star chef/restaurateur, a James Beard Best Chef award recipient. Kelly Caylor (kcaylor@princeton.edu)

GEO 202 (STL): Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate

An introduction to the ocean, atmosphere, and climate from the perspective of oceanography. Covers coastal processes including waves, beaches, tides and ecosystems; open ocean processes including atmospheric circulation and its impact on the surface ocean, the wind driven circulation, and surface ocean ecosystems; and the abyssal ocean including circulation, the cycling of chemicals, and ocean sediments and what they tell us about the climate history of the earth. The final part of the course will cover humans and the earth system, including a discussion of ocean resources and climate change. Jorge L. Sarmiento (jls@Princeton.EDU), Danielle M. Schmitt (dschmitt@Princeton.EDU)

GEO 430 Climate and the Terrestrial Biosphere

Earth’s climate is tightly coupled to the terrestrial biosphere. In this course, we will explore the key mechanisms that link climate (e.g., cloudiness, rainfall, and temperature) with the terrestrial biosphere, and how these mechanisms are altered by humans. We will review land-atmosphere exchanges of energy, water and carbon dioxide. We will then analyze the processes controlling the land carbon sink, with a strong focus on seasonality. We will investigate the potential impacts of climate change on vegetation seasonality and the land carbon sink. Assignments will include analysis of observational datasets and climate model simulations. David M. Medvigy (dmedvigy@Princeton.EDU)

GHP 405 / ANT 481: Energy and Health: From Exhausted Bodies to Energy Crises

In this course, we will consider how the production and consumption of energy are linked to questions of health. We will examine how philosophers, public health scholars, filmmakers, anthropologists, historians and even novelists have thought about energy. This class will treat energy as a broad concept, ranging from the metabolic productions of the body to the carbon fixations of democracy. We will also examine what energy sustainability might mean in the face of repeated infrastructure failure and the concurrent loss of life. Finally, we will look to the past and present of nuclear energy as a course of hope and a looming threat. Bharat J. Venkat (bvenkat@princeton.edu)

GSS 543 / POL 543: Interest Groups and Social Movements in American Politics and Policy

This course engages theoretical and empirical work about interest groups and social movements in American politics and policy-making. We examine theories of interest group and social movement formation, maintenance and decline; how interest groups and social movements attempt to influence public policy; the impact of interest groups and social movements; lobbying; the relationships between interest groups and the three branches of the federal government; interest groups, elections, campaign finance, PACs, and 527s; and the effectiveness of interest groups and social movements as agents of democratic representation. Dara Z. Strolovitch (dzs@princeton.edu)

HIS 507: Environmental History

The course examines the processes of environmental change and the causes and effects of change. Class readings expose participants to different models and approaches to the study of environmental change. The class readings draw from different historical periods and different parts of the world, including Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. The course critically assesses the paradigms and models underlying the analysis and description of environmental change and explores alternative ways of understanding and narrating environmental change. Emmanuel H. Kreike (kreike@Princeton.EDU)

ISC 335: Organic Chemistry of Metabolism

A rigorous one-semester introduction to the organic chemical reactions of greatest biological importance, taught through the lens of metabolism. Covers organic mechanisms underlying fundamental enzyme-catalyzed reactions and quantitative analysis of enzyme kinetics and metabolic networks. For quantitatively-inclined students interested in biology, this course is an alternative to the standard two-semester organic chemistry sequence (CHM303/304). Does not replace CHM303/304 for Chemistry majors. Satisfies the organic chemistry requirement for Molecular Biology majors and provides appropriate preparation for subsequent studies in Biochemistry. Joshua D. Rabinowitz (joshr@Princeton.EDU)

ITA319: The Literature of Gastronomy

This course studies Italian novels and short stories in English translation, works of visual art, and films which thematize food as reality and metaphor, examining how eating functions within ideological and mythological structures of modern society. Topics will include ‘Futurist’ cuisine as an aesthetic experience and a prophetic vision, writing during the war, and sublime and erotic cuisine. Daniela B. Antonucci (dantonuc@Princeton.EDU), Pietro Frassica (frassica@Princeton.EDU)

ITA 401: Seminar in Italian Literature and Culture – Italy: The Land of Slow

Combining an analysis of Italian literary texts with works of visual art, this course studies the art of cookery in relation to people’s environment and history. From Middle Ages to the 21st-century (Dante, Boccaccio, Michelangelo, Goldoni, d’Annunzio, Magris), topics will explore the conceptual preconditions that in recent years have generated the Slow-Food movement, its recycling of its own old traditions as well as its worldwide impact. This course examines food as a window into gender, class and traditions, where food is defined in terms of nutritional health and taste as well as social and ethical phenomena, such as the value of nature. Pietro Frassica (frassica@Princeton.EDU)

JRN 454 (LA): Writing Abut Ideas

Journalists play a crucial role in intellectual life. They popularize and challenge the work of scholars and scientists, probe the world views that motivate political actors, and bring philosophical debates to the surface of public life, making the case for their relevance and even their urgency. In this course we will read and study works of intellectual narrative journalism. We will look at writerly strategies for conveying and distilling complexity within storytelling, and we will produce our own journalism. Laura J. Secor (lsecor@princeton.edu)

LAO 210 / LAS 210 / SOC 210 / URB 210: Urban Sociology: The City and Social Change in the Americas

By taking a comparative approach, this course examines the role of social, economic, and political factors in the emergence and transformation of modern cities in the United States and selected areas of Latin America. We consider the city in its dual image: both as a center of progress and as a redoubt of social problems, especially poverty. Attention is given to spatial processes that have resulted in the aggregation and desegregation of populations differentiated by social class and race. Patricia Fernández-Kelly

MOL 460 / STL 460: Diseases in Children: Causes, Costs and Choices
Within a broader context of historical, social, and ethical concerns, a survey of normal childhood development and selected disorders from the perspectives of the physician and the scientist. Emphasis on the complex relationship between genetic and acquired causes of disease, medical practice, social conditions, and cultural values. The course features visits from children with some of the conditions discussed, site visits, and readings from the original medical and scientific literature. Prerequisite: 214 or 215. Two 90-minute classes. Daniel A. Notterman (dan1@Princeton.EDU)

NES265, POL268: Political/Econ Development of Mid-East

Provides a framework for understanding the political and economic issues that both challenge and encourage development in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Students will think creatively about the issues raised by designing a development project aimed at tackling a specific problem in a Middle Eastern country. Two lectures, one preceptorial. M. Künkler

POL 329: Policy Making in America

This course provides a realistic introduction to how public policy is made in the United States today. It examines how people (voters, activists, wealthy individuals, lobbyists, politicians, bureaucrats, and judges), organizations (interest groups, firms, unions, foundations, think tanks, political parties, and the media) and political institutions (Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the judiciary) come together to create and implement public policy. The course combines social science theory and systematic empirical evidence with case studies, and provides students with tools of proven usefulness for practical political analysis. Charles M. Cameron (ccameron@Princeton.EDU)

PSY 252: Social Psychology

The scientific study of social behavior, with an emphasis on social interaction and group influence. Topics covered will include social perception, the formation of attitudes and prejudice, attraction, conformity and obedience, altruism and aggression, and group dynamics. Diana I. Tamir (dtamir@princeton.edu)

PSY 321 / WWS 340: The Psychology of Decision Making and Judgment

An introduction to the logic and research findings underlying decision-making and judgment under uncertainty. The focus is on the contrast between the rational theory of judgment and choice, and the psychological principles that guide decision behavior, often producing biases and errors. Among other topics, we will consider political, medical, and financial decision-making, poverty, negotiation, and the law, along with the implications of the findings for the rational agent model typically assumed in economics, throughout the social sciences, and in policy making. Eldar Shafir (shafir@princeton.edu)

SOC 337: Environment and Migration

Environmental refugees leave their homes in response to earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, toxins, dams, and deforestation. Risk-mitigating farming households preemptively send family to seek jobs elsewhere, protecting against possible crop failure. In much of the world, households participate in cyclical or temporary migratory flows, driven by seasonality of the food supply. Students will become familiar with the manners in which environment drives migration and explore the potential for migration to impact the environment. Is vulnerability to environmental hazards distributed equitably across the world’s communities? Staff

SOC 542: Complex Organization (Half-Term)

Introduction to the study of complex organizations. Course goals are (1) to familiarize students with classic and recent organizational scholarship; (2) to enable students to apply critical insights from this research to empirical analyses involving organizations; (3) to provide a start on key readings for students planning to take a comprehensive examination in this field. Topics covered include: bureaucracy/pre-bureaucratic forms; contributions of the Carnegie School; economics of organizations & organizational networks; environments and organizational ecology; institutional theory; organizations/inequality; corporations/social change. Paul J. DiMaggio (dimaggio@Princeton.EDU)

SPA 305: Topics in Spanish Civilization of the Golden Age – Gastronomy in Spanish Literature

Cuisine is always more than nutrition; it functions as an agent of identity at both the regional and the national level. Moreover, gastronomy intersects with other manifestations of culture such as painting, literature, medicine, and religion. Readings, in addition to cookbooks, handbooks of table manners, and medical treatises, will include literary texts ranging from medieval to Golden Age to modern. Ronald E. Surtz (surtz@Princeton.EDU)

SWA102: Elementary Swahili II

This course is a continuation of Swahili 101. It enhances communicative skills with emphasis on writing, reading, comprehension and conversation. Class activities review and enhance already introduced skills in speaking, writing, listening and reading; all embedded in authentic and contemporary East African cultural content. Cultural themes include the basics of daily life such as relationships, food, physical features and other aspects of material culture of East Africa. Learners are expected to perform functions related to basic services, comprehension of basic spoken and written texts and writing of a 1-page essay in Kiswahili. Mahiri Mwita (mmwita@Princeton.EDU)

URB 201 / WWS 201 / SOC 203 / ARC 207 Introduction to Urban Studies

This course will examine different crises confronting cities in the 21st century. Topics will range from immigration, to terrorism, shrinking population, traffic congestion, pollution, energy crisis, housing needs, water wars, race riots, extreme weather conditions, war and urban operations. The range of cities will include Los Angles, New Orleans, Paris, Logos, Caracas, Havana, New York, Hong Kong, and Baghdad among others. M. Christine Boyer (mcboyer@Princeton.EDU)

WWS 350 / ENV 350 (STN): The Environment: Science and Policy

This course examines the ways domestic US and international environmental regulatory frameworks adopt, interpret and otherwise accommodate scientific information. The course focuses on several case studies, that provide insights into the science-policy interactions which emerge from managing natural resources and environmental risk. Topics include air pollution; climate change; ozone depletion; managing the world’s forests, fisheries, and ecosystem services, and global trade in wildlife. Students will explore the science underlying these issues as well as current policies and the range of future policy responses. Michael Oppenheimer (omichael@Princeton.EDU), David S. Wilcove (dwilcove@princeton.edu)

WWS 501: The Politics of Public Policy

An analysis of the forces that shape the behavior of public organizations and individuals in organizational settings. The emphasis is on the workings of U.S. governmental agencies. Special attention is given to writing skills as they apply to the roles of advisers and decision makers in public-sector organizations. Laura De Olden (lauradeolden@princeton.edu), Grigore Pop-Eleches (gpop@Princeton.EDU)

WWS 529: Great Leadership in Historical Perspective

Course uses the lens of history to evaluate why some individuals are considered most effective as elected, bureaucratic, and appointed officials in American history. Course evaluates social scientific models of leadership, then delves into the historical record to discover any patterns. Careful consideration is given to the distinct challenges posed by different institutional settings. A wide range of influential leaders, including Gifford Pinchot at the Dept of Agriculture, Lyndon Johnson in the Senate, Wilbur Cohen at the Social Security Administration and George Schultz at State, will be examined. Julian E. Zelizer (jzelizer@princeton.edu)